Background: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and to investigate the effect of weight changes or unhealthy weight control behaviors on dysmenorrhea in young Korean women. Methods: We used large-scale data of women, aged 14 to 44 years, who participated in the Korean Study of Women’s Health-Related Issues. Dysmenorrhea was measured using a visual analog scale and was categorized as none, mild, moderate, and severe according to the severity. Weight changes and unhealthy weight control behaviors (any of the behaviors, fasting/meal skipping, drugs, the use of unapproved dietary supplements, and one-food diets) over the past year were self-reported. We used multinomial logistic regression to investigate the association between weight changes or unhealthy weight control behaviors and dysmenorrhea. Results: Of the 5,829 young women participating in the study, 5,245 (90.0%) participants experienced dysmenorrhea [2,184 (37.5%) had moderate and 1,358 (23.3%) had severe].After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratios for moderate and severe dysmenorrhea in participants with weight changes ≥ 3 kg (vs. < 3 kg) were 1.19 (95% confidence interval:1.05–1.35) and 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.45), respectively. The odds ratios in participants with any unhealthy weight control behaviors were 1.22 (95% confidence interval:1.04–1.42) and 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.19–1.67) for those with moderate and severe dysmenorrhea, respectively. Conclusion Weight changes (≥ 3 kg) or unhealthy weight control behaviors are common among young women, which may adversely affect dysmenorrhea. Therefore, attention needs to be paid to excessive weight changes and unhealthy weight control behaviors to improve dysmenorrhea in young women.

Objectives: The use of menstrual hygiene products and its effect on women’s health remains under studied. Patterns of menstrual hygiene product use and the rationale behind choices among Korean women aged 18-45 years were examined. Methods: This cross-sectional study was a part of the Korea Nurses’ Health Study. A total of 20,613 nurses participated, and 8,658 nurses participated in Module 7 which included a menstrual hygiene productsrelated survey. The data were collected through the mobile survey using a self-reported questionnaire.Participants’ use of menstrual hygiene products and related characteristics were analyzed using frequency (percentage) or mean (SD). Results: The most common types of menstrual hygiene products across all age groups were disposable menstrual pads (89.0%), followed by cloth menstrual pads (4.5%), tampons (4.2%), and only 1.6% used a menstrual cup. Disposable menstrual pads were the most common across all age groups, but in those aged under 30 years this was followed by tampon use (6%). The most important criteria when choosing a menstrual hygiene product was comfort for disposable menstrual pads (31.3%) and tampons (41.5%), natural ingredients or organic products for cloth menstrual pads (51.4%), and custom fit for the menstrual cup (50.7%). However, for all menstrual hygiene products (except cloth menstrual pads), there was a higher proportion of anxiety than perception of safety, and low awareness of toxic shock syndrome. Conclusion It is important for women to use menstrual hygiene products with confidence. More research is needed to better understand potential health effects of menstrual hygiene products.

Objectives: . To investigate the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of primary parotid carcinoma treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). Methods: . We reviewed retrospectively 57 patients with primary parotid carcinoma who were treated with surgery and PORT between 2005 and 2014. Superficial parotidectomy was performed in 19 patients, total parotidectomy in 10 patients, and total parotidectomy with lymph node dissection in 28 patients PORT on the tumor bed was performed in 41 patients, while PORT on tumor bed and ipsilateral cervical lymph nodes was performed in 16 patients. Results: . With a median follow-up of 66 months, the 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival, locoregional control, and distant control rates were 77.0%, 60.2%, 77.6%, and 72.8%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival by stage was 100%, 100%, 80.0%, and 46.4% in stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Recurrences at primary lesions were found in seven patients, while at cervical nodes in six patients. Distant recurrences were developed in 12 patients. No patient with the low and intermediate histologic grade developed distant failure. As prognostic factors, the histologic grade for overall survival (P=0.005), pathological T-stage (P=0.009) and differentiation grade (P=0.009) for disease-free survival, pathological T-stage for locoregional control (P=0.007), and lympho-vascular invasion (P=0.023) for distant recurrence were significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusion . This study revealed that differentiation grade, histologic grade, pathological T-stage, and lympho-vascular invasion were significant independent prognostic factors on clinical outcomes.

Korean Society of Thyroid-Head and Neck Surgery appointed a Task Force to provide guidance on the implementation of a surgical treatment of oral cancer. MEDLINE databases were searched for articles on subjects related to “surgical management of oral cancer” published in English. Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized control trials/controlled clinical trials, and observational studies. The quality of evidence was rated with use RoBANS (Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies) and AMSTAR (A Measurement Tool to Assess the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews). Evidence-based recommendations for practice were ranked according to the American College of Physicians grading system. Additional directives are provided as expert opinions and Delphi questionnaire when insufficient evidence existed. The Committee developed 68 evidence-based recommendations in 34 categories intended to assist clinicians and patients and counselors, and health policy-makers. Proper surgical treatment selection for oral cancer, which is directed by patient- and subsite-specific factors, remains the greatest predictor of successful treatment outcomes. These guidelines are intended for use in conjunction with the individual patient's treatment goals.
Advisory Committees ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Counseling ; Expert Testimony ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; Neck ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: To investigate the differences in treatment outcomes between two radiation techniques, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT).MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 160 (IMRT = 23, 3DCRT = 137) patients with stage I glottic cancer treated from January 2005 through December 2016. The IMRT was performed with TomoTherapy (16 patients), volumetric-modulated arc therapy (6 patients), and step-and-shoot technique (1 patient), respectively. The 3DCRT was performed with bilateral parallel opposing fields. The median follow-up duration was 30 months (range, 31 to 42 months) in the IMRT group and 65 months (range, 20 to 143 months) in the 3DCRT group.RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival and 3-year local control rates of the 160 patients were 95.7% and 91.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in 3-year local control rates between the IMRT and 3DCRT groups (94.4% vs. 91.0%; p = 0.587). Thirteen of 137 patients in the 3DCRT group had recurrences. In the IMRT group, one patient had a recurrence at the true vocal cord. Patients treated with IMRT had less grade 2 skin reaction than the 3DCRT group, but this had no statistical significance (4.3% vs. 21.2%; p = 0.080).CONCLUSION: IMRT had comparable outcomes with 3DCRT, and a trend of less acute skin reaction in stage I glottic cancer patients
Follow-Up Studies ; Glottis ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Vocal Cords

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that is known as an important independent risk factor for stroke. However, limited information is available on AF in Korea. This study evaluated the incidence of AF, its associated co-morbidities and risk factors for AF in Korea. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The National Health Insurance Service database between 2002 and 2010 was used in the study. Individuals<30 years old and those diagnosed with AF between 2002 and 2004 were excluded. Hazard ratios (HRs) according to co-morbidities and risk factors for AF were determined using a Cox proportional hazard model. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) of AF risk factors were determined. RESULTS: During a 6-year follow-up period, 3517 (1.7%) developed AF. The incidence rates in men and women aged 30-39 years were 0.82 and 0.55 per 1000 person-years, respectively; the incidence rates further increased with age to 13.09 and 11.54 per 1000 person-years in men and women aged≥80 years, respectively. The risk factors for incident AF were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and heart failure. After adjusting for variables related to AF, the risk of AF was significantly associated with hypertension (HR 1.667), IHD (HR 1.639), heart failure (HR 1.521), and the PAFs for age, sex, BMI, hypertension, IHD, heart failure and diabetes mellitus were 30.6%, 10.1%, 3.4%, 16.6%, 8.2%, 5.3% and 0.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Incidence of AF increased with age and was higher in men than in women. A larger proportion of AF events was attributable to hypertension than to other co-morbidities.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Body Mass Index ; Comorbidity ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence* ; Korea* ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; National Health Programs* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors* ; Stroke

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Heart failure (HF) is an important healthcare issue because of its high mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. The number of HF patients is increasing worldwide as a consequence of aging of the population. However, there are limited studies on the prevalence of HF in Korea. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HF, its comorbidities, and the projected population with HF in the future. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prevalence and comorbidity estimates of HF were determined using data from the 2002-2013 National Sample Cohort based on the National Health Information Database. We calculated the projected prevalence of HF by multiplying the estimated prevalence in 2013 by the projected population counts for 2015-2040. RESULTS: The prevalence of HF in Korea was estimated to be 1.53% in 2013. The prevalence of HF in Korea is expected to increase by 2-fold, from 1.60% in 2015 to 3.35% in 2040. By 2040, more than 1.7 million Koreans are expected to have HF. In terms of comorbid diseases of HF, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were common (45.4%, 43.6%, and 49.1% in 2013, respectively). The prevalence rates of arrhythmia, valvular disease, and cardiomyopathy in HF patients were approximately 22.6%, 5.6%, and 3.1% in 2013, respectively. CONCLUSION: This is the first nationwide report in Korea to demonstrate the prevalence and comorbidities of HF. These data may be used for the prevention and management of HF in Korea.
Aging ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cohort Studies ; Comorbidity ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Epidemiology* ; Health Care Costs ; Heart Failure* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea* ; Mortality ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

Clinical research registration is required in many countries to improve transparency of clinical research and to ensure subject safety. Developed in February 2010, the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) is an online registration system for clinical studies in Korea and one of the primary registries of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The present analysis investigated the characteristics of studies registered in the CRIS between February 2010 and December 2014. Data for the analysis were extracted from the CRIS database. As of December 31, 2014, 1,323 clinical studies were registered. Of these, 938 (70.9%) were interventional studies and 385 (29.1%) were observational studies. A total of 248 (18.7%) studies were funded by government sources, 1,051 (79.4%) by non-government sources, and 24 (1.8%) by both. The most frequently studied disease category based on the ICD-10 classification was the digestive system (13.1%), followed by the nervous system (9.4%) and musculoskeletal system (9.1%). Only 17.8% of the studies were registered prior to enrollment of the first subject. Comparing the number of registered or approved clinical studies between the CRIS, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and ClinicalTrials.gov suggests that a considerable number of clinical studies are not registered with the CRIS; therefore, we would suggest that such registration should be the mandatory legal requirement.
Biomedical Research ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; *Information Services ; Internet ; Registries ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean is gradually increasing. Metabolic syndrome shows different patterns depending on gender and socioeconomic status. We investigated the differences in incidence of metabolic syndrome according to gender and socioeconomic status using a community cohort of middle-aged Korean. METHODS: The study included 5,544 subjects (2,733 men and 2,811 women) aged 40-69 years without metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or history of cardiovascular disease at baseline. The incidence of metabolic syndrome was estimated according to gender and socioeconomic status, and the association between socioeconomic status and incidence of metabolic syndrome was examined using Cox's proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: The incidence density of metabolic syndrome was 53/1,000 person-years in men and 52/1,000 person-years in women during the mean follow-up period of 6.01 years. After adjusting for common risk factors, the hazard ratios (HRs) for metabolic syndrome for those with high, middle, and elementary school education levels compared to the college graduate or higher group (referent) were 1.07 (95% CI, 0.76-1.51), 1.73 (95% CI, 1.23-2.44), and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.23-2.46) in women, respectively, and compared to the more than 400 (10,000 won) group (referent), the HRs for metabolic syndrome according to income level were 1.56 (95% CI, 1.06-2.29), 1.86 (95% CI, 1.28-2.71), and 2.74 (95% CI, 1.87-4.00) in women, respectively. However, the association between socioeconomic status and incidence of metabolic syndrome was not significant in men. CONCLUSION: The association between incident metabolic syndrome and socioeconomic status was significant in middle-aged Korean women.
Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cohort Studies ; Education ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Social Class

BACKGROUND: In adults, the 2 main types of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML). Both are associated with a poor prognosis. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only known curative treatment modality for these diseases, but data on outcomes following such treatment are limited. We analyzed the outcomes of patients with MDS/MPN after allogeneic HCT. METHODS: This retrospective study included 10 patients with MDS/MPN who received allogeneic HCT at Asan Medical Center from 2002 to 2010. Of these 10 patients, 7 had CMML, 2 had aCML, and 1 had unclassifiable MDS/MPN. Five patients received a myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimen (busulfan-cyclophosphamide), and 5 received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen. RESULTS: Neutrophil engraftment was achieved in all patients. After a median follow-up of 47.5 months among surviving patients, 4 had relapsed and 5 had died. There was only 1 treatment-related death. The 5-year rates of overall, relapse-free, and event-free survival were 42.2%, 51.9%, and 46.7%, respectively. Relapse was the leading cause of treatment failure, and all relapses were observed in patients who had received RIC and who did not develop chronic graft-versus-host disease. CONCLUSION: Allogeneic HCT can induce durable remission in patients with MDS/MPN, but RIC cannot replace MAC in patients eligible for myeloablative treatments.
Adult ; Cell Transplantation ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic, Atypical, BCR-ABL Negative ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic ; Neutrophils ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants ; Treatment Failure